Let’s start a Cape Breton community foundation

Cape Breton Post

Published: Mar 11, 2015 at midnight

Updated: Oct 02, 2017 at 11:04 a.m.

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In the famous biblical parable of the talents, there is a servant who merely hides his talent (currency). He returns the one talent and is chastised for it. The two other servants do better: They take what they are given and create more, but not for themselves. Yet they benefit in the end.

In Cape Breton, most of our “talents” are not monetary currency. We don’t have big industries or big developers. We have lots of smarts but not a lot of dollars. So how can we create more?

We can start a Cape Breton community foundation.

The community foundation would gather a pool of donations, more and more over time. The pool would be invested locally — and smartly — to generate interest and profits. The interest and profits would support local charities working on youth employment, housing, the environment, recreation, crime prevention, seniors programs, education and more.

Sometimes, community foundations bring charities together when it’s time to try something new. They innovate and experiment. Community foundations take a bird’s-eye view of a region and the actions likely to have the greatest impact. They’re able to work with charities that aren’t normally under the United Way umbrella.

Because it’s about solid charitable projects and social entrepreneurship, there’s not much risk of money going to expensive white elephants that benefit only a select few. We’ve seen that happen too often.

Of course, a community foundation needs some dollars. Would the fundraising not eat into other good works? I don’t think so. A community foundation would expand the pie.

As it stands, it’s actually hard to write a will that can benefit Cape Breton for years to come. But within a community foundation, you can easily set up a permanent fund in the name of a deceased love one. The named fund could make grants every year. Even someone of fairly modest means could set up such a fund and have it grow.

For example, in New Brunswick, the Saint John Community Foundation’s Brian Lund Memorial Fund recently helped 100 disadvantaged children access arts and sports activities. Next year, it will help others.

The community foundation in New Brunswick’s economically struggling Acadian Peninsula has 23 named funds. One of them honours a profitable, one-time event, the Jeux de l’Acadie. That event's organizers left a gift that keeps on giving.

Think of all the Cape Bretoners who have moved away but still feel the pull of home. Think of everyone who has visited here and has been touched by our hospitality.

Sometimes courts designate community foundations as beneficiaries of class-action awards where “the community” should be compensated as well.

As part of his "Smart and Caring Nation" theme, Gov. Gen. David Johnston has called for every community in Canada to have access to a community foundation by 2017. More than four-fifths of Canadians now do. The first one (Winnipeg’s) is still going strong 95 years after it started.

There is actually a Nova Scotia Community Foundation, but it’s primarily mainland-focused. We could choose to have a Cape Breton community fund under the Nova Scotia body. But let that be our Plan B. Cape Breton is a distinct society, and we need some more ways to govern ourselves.

I use the term “govern” loosely. Politicians don’t run community foundations. They are strictly charitable and independent, subject to the standards of a national association. That’s healthy — and badly needed.

But maybe there is a way for local governments to help. What if our property tax bills gave us an option (a check box) to voluntarily — no strings attached — add one per cent (or more) to go to our Cape Breton community foundation? If the foundation was caring, creative and credible, it would get some helpers.

You would receive a charitable tax receipt and an accounting of where your donations were going.

And of course a “thank you.” The card might even quote a parable: “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

Tom Urbaniak is a political scientist at Cape Breton University. He welcomes opportunities to exchange ideas and can be reached at tom_urbaniak@cbu.ca.